Monday, May 28, 2012

Milestones

O my Sprocket and O the joy of my heart.
You turned three and a half recently (I'm not going to publish exactly when in case you get your dad's privacy phobia, but recently) and I thought I'd try to capture who you are at three and a half.
You are - although this almost goes without saying - mischievous. You have a quirky way of looking at the world and a wide range of expressively humous faces. Authority in your view is something that either a. should be yours or b. should be circumvented. You are very good at this. You practice doing funny walks and your whole face glows with glee as you tell us "that's funny!" when something makes you crack up in giggles.
You do not think you should be told off and, while you might knock your sister over as you run through the house or snatch her doll, you don't think anyone else should tell her off either. I sit the Poppet on my knee to explain to her at length why we don't bite people and you, my Sprocket come up. "Naughty Mummy! Not happy. Bubba is good!" Even if the Poppet is in trouble for hurting you or destroying your stuff, you still don't like her to be told off. (Except by you...)
You are so affectionate. You love hugs and kisses, holding hands and lying in bed nose to nose just talking. Last night as we lay talking, holding hands, one of your arms slung around my neck, you told me I was "Not other people's Mummy. My own Mummy,"and I went a little teary as I told you that you were "My own Sprocket, my own darling boy."  You save it for special occasions, but your sweet little "I love you's" are priceless.
You have superior reflexes and co-ordination. Of course, I would say that, because they're already way better than mine. But yes, climbing, catching, throwing, summersaulting. Not a problem for you. You can even (and this is an amazement and a wonder as well as a delight) keep in time and dance to a beat. (Unlike myself and the Poppet.)
You are starting to sing a lot more. "Move aside, make way, its Fireman Sprocket,"  can be heard floating around the house. You love The Grand Old Duke of York, Baa Baa Blacksheep, Ging Gang Gooli and What Shall we Do with the Drunken Sailor and can, and do, listen to them twenty times in a row. Recently you decided for two days that all you wanted to listen to was "Glory to God." My voice gave out.
You are beginning to listen very well to story-time at playgroup. This is because of blatant bribery on my behalf, but I think it sets you up well for work-for-pay in later life. Also for learning all about deferred gratification.
You still do not like your food to be tainted by being in touch with other food. Particularly anything remotely resembling a vegetable. However when I mentioned this at childcare they looked at me as if I was crazy. This is something you save for home... Hmmm.
You are still my little water baby. You love swimming and leap into the swimming pool with delight (often stopping to pose first). You will swim under the big mat at the pool happily and put your face underwater to search for fallen toys. You do not as yet really understand the concept of sinking, which is scary. Your swimming gets better every week.
You are a problem solver. Already you are studying your daddy as he does the combination on the lock on the shed. If I were your daddy I'd get a lock with a key and keep it around his neck.
While you are quite happy to take the Poppets toys, no one else is allowed to. When I took a little cloth doll from her she had swiped from her Great Nana's you climbed up the bookcase to get it back for her. You will take other kids dolls to give them to her. This is embarrassing, but very sweet.
You have keen observation powers. You know fine well we were amused as well as cranky about you locking your daddy in the shed. When your daddy was trying to catch you a few nights past to put your jammies on you told him "I'm not happy with you, daddy. Ghee will lock you in the shed!" Not having been locked in the shed myself, it took me awhile to stop laughing.
My Sprocket at three and a half - gutsy, determined, imaginative, stubborn, humorous, co-ordinated, strong, courageous, affectionate. You love robots and tools, sticks and blocks. You like watching Fireman Sam, Lunar Jim and Chuggington.
When you walk, you walk with a little-man-swagger. But you'll still always come running for a hug. 

1 comment:

  1. Also very interested in new things, and very focused

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